This invention generally relates to electrodynamic machines such as electric motors or generators. More particularly, this invention relates to power control for such devices.
One type of electrodynamic machine is a traction motor. Traction motors are often required to operate over a very wide speed and torque range. During low speed operation, very large torques may be required to accelerate the load. During high speed operation, lower torque may be required but the load may still require high power.
If the motor is a switched reluctance traction motor built for high torque, low speed operation, it will typically have a large magnetic structure. Such a motor may not be able to fulfill certain high speed operation power requirements because the phase current cannot rise sufficiently rapidly in the large magnetic structure.
It is desirable to be able to use a motor for various conditions. For example, it would be beneficial to facilitate a rapidly rising current in a switched reluctance motor for high speed, high power operation conditions.